Umbrella-runner.



W. H. GASKILL.

UMBRELLA RUNNER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904.

. normal position.

UNITED STATES Patented December 20, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. GASKILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL W.EVANS, JR, TRADING AS S. WV. EVANS & SON.

UMBRELLA-RUNNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,028, dated December20, 1904. Application filed June 8, 1904. Serial No. 211,594.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. GASKILL, a citizen of the United States,residing in the .city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Umbrella-Runners, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention consists of an umbrella-runner provided with means forautomatically operating the catchemployed in the umbrellastick forholding said runner in the open condition of the umbrella, whereby saidrunner is released from said'catch and the runner may permit theclosingof the umbrella, said means being hereinafter set forth and thenovel features thereof pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an umbrella-runner embodying myinvention. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 represent longitudinal sections thereof,certain parts being in different positions.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the stretcher-attaching head ofan umbrella-runner, and B designates the tube which depends from saidhead and encircles the stick of the umbrella, the lower end of said tubebeing adapted to rest on the catch C of the stick when the umbrella isopen, (see Fig. 2,) thus controlling the runner and preventing loweringof the same. Freely encircling said tube is the sleeve D, whose upperportion is adapted to slide on saidtube and whose lower portion isadapted to slide on the umbrellastick. On the exterior of the tube, nearthe lower portion thereof, is an outturned knurl or shoulder E, and ontheinterior of the sleeve, near the upper portion thereof, is theinturned wall or shoulder F. Interposed between said tube and sleeve isthe coil-spring G, which is seated on the shoulder E and adapted to beengaged by the shoulder F, whereby when the sleeve is depressed saidspring is compressed, so as to subsequently return the sleeve to its Thewall of the sleeve is also inturned, say, below its central portion,forming the shoulder H, which is adapted to engage the projecting faceof the catch C and force the latter into the stick, whereby the loweredge of the tube clears said catch and permits the runner to descend thestick. It will be seen that said shoulder H is integral with the sleeve,it being formed by inwardly crimping the metal or material of the same,preferably sheet metal, admitting of the formation of the sleevejointless from end to end.

When the umbrella is to be closed, the operation is as follows: Thesleeve is grasped and lowered, whereby the shoulder H contacts with theupper edge of the projecting portion of the catch C and presses inwardlyagainst the same,(see Fig. 3,) thus forcing the catch partially into thestick, when as the adjacent side edge of said catch is rounded orinclined and the lower end of the tube presses against said edge thecatch is fully forced into the stick, thus removing the catch from thepath of the tube, whereby the runner may continue its descent, whichoccurring as shown in Fig. 4: the umbrella may be closed as usual. lVhenthe runner is let go, the spring G expands and restores the sleeveupwardly to its normal position. lVhen the runner is raised to open theumbrella, it rides on the stick, as usual, and passes over the catch O,the latter then being pressed into the stick by the contact of the tubeB thereagainst until the lower end of the tube clears the top of thecatch, when the latter springs out from the stick into the lower portionof the sleeve, when said tube rests on the top of the catch,

and so locks the runner, the descent of which is prevented by theprojection of the top of the catch across the path of the tube, as willbe most apparent in Fig. 2, where, as is evi dent; the catch is inclosedand concealed by the sleeve, the fingers are removed from con tact withsaid catch, and the disengaging action of the latter is outwardlyeffected by the downward motion of the sleeve in the manner hereinbeforestated.

The lower end of the sleeve is provided with the cup J for receiving thetips of the umbrella and firmly holding the same in the closed positionof the umbrella.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction shown withoutdeparting from the general spirit of my invention, and I donot,therefore,desire to be limited in each case to the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an umbrella-runner, a runner-tube provided with an outturnedshoulder above the bottom thereof, a sleeve slidable on said tube andprovided with an inturned shoulder at its upper end, a spring interposedbetween said tube and sleeve between said shoulders and aninwardly-projecting shoulder on the interior of said sleeve below saidspring.

2. In an umbrella-runner, a runner-tube, a sleeve slidable on said tube,an outwardlyextending shoulder on said tube,an inwardlyextendingshoulder on said sleeve, a spring der being composed of an integralportion of the wall of said sleeve.

WILLIAM H. GASKILL. Witnesses:

FRED. W. CAssIDY, FRED W. CAssIDY, Jr.

